Google Cloud and Accenture have joined forces on a new initiative centered on dispatching engineers into client organizations to facilitate smoother integration of Google’s AI tools and services. This venture, called the Accenture Gemini Enterprise Business Group, marks Google’s latest move into the fast-evolving arena of “forward-deployed engineers,” or FDEs. Other major players in the AI landscape—such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, and Amazon—have recently launched comparable business units, wagering that helping companies implement AI models could evolve into a trillion-dollar industry in its own right.

It’s a calculated risk that AI providers and hyperscalers increasingly have to take. These tech giants are pouring hundreds of billions of dollars annually into GPUs, data centers, and energy infrastructure, even though direct AI-related revenue still represents only a small slice of those massive expenditures. Google Cloud pulled in $24.8 billion during the second quarter, with enterprise AI contributing a substantial portion of that figure. Yet, the financial commitments underpinning such growth are staggering. Alphabet, Google Cloud’s parent company, reportedly amassed $811 billion in purchase commitments and contractual obligations as of June 30. The anticipated returns aren’t yet showing up at the scale that companies and investors hope for, so much hinges on whether AI firms can generate sufficient demand for their offerings.

However, that demand isn’t a sure thing, since many enterprises are themselves finding it difficult to achieve a clear return on their AI investments. The conventional wisdom has been that businesses simply lack the know-how to weave AI tools and services into their daily operations in ways that not only cut costs but also boost long-term profitability. This is where FDEs step in as a steady, guiding presence—ideally armed with the right blend of business insight and advanced agentic AI expertise to drive meaningful change.

Under the partnership with Accenture, Google plans to train up to 1,000 of the consultancy’s FDEs to help enterprises craft custom AI applications on the Gemini Enterprise platform. According to August data from Ramp, Google captures roughly 6% of enterprise AI spending among U.S. businesses, trailing well behind Anthropic’s 43.5% and OpenAI’s 39.7%. This new unit with Accenture, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, represents Google’s latest aggressive push to expand its FDE model this year, as it works to overcome enterprise deployment hurdles and close the gap with its competitors.

Earlier in 2024, Google Cloud introduced a $750 million partner ecosystem commitment that placed its own FDEs within several consultancies, including Capgemini, Cognizant, and Deloitte. The company also entered into a multi-year agreement with CVC Capital Partners to embed FDEs directly into the investment firm’s portfolio companies. Google isn’t alone in worrying about being overtaken by newer entrants. Firms that specialize in embedding engineers into businesses to build tailored AI workflows—such as Ode with Anthropic or OpenAI’s The Deployment Co.—also pose a threat to established consultancies like Accenture. For Accenture, this collaboration with Google adds to a busy year of FDE-related programs, including a Microsoft FDE practice launched in March, an FDE initiative with ServiceNow in May, and a joint program with SAP in June.